Betwixt and Between: Discovery
by A Lonely Angel
Summary: Mira of House Garrison, a lord's son, scorned by his father for his lack of lord-like capabilities is sent to see if an egg will hatch for him. When the dragon inside hatches and Mira has to overcome his reserved nature, can they become a strong Dragon and Rider? How will the newly bonded dragon and Rider handle what lies before them? Rated T for some language and possible violence
1. Prequel

**A/N: I don't own anything in this work with the exception of my OCs and plot. The world of Alagaësia and everything contained therein is the creation of Christopher Paolini and has given me inspiration to create this story. This is my first fiction, and as such constructive criticism is appreciated!**

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**Prequel**

"Mira!" Lord Ezra of House Garrison shouted. Lord Ezra was a hulking man; he weighed more than he appeared on account of his large muscles, and he was taller than most men. He had dark, long hair that swept behind him as he walked, but otherwise hung at his shoulders, and piercing green eyes. He was a smart, but arrogant man. His servitude to Queen Nasuada years hence the Battle of Urû'baen, which the Queen had re-named Ilirea which had been its first name before Galbatorix took the throne, had only increased his self-assurance. He had been but a light on the horizon during the Battle that saved the Empire, but his father, Lord Delan quickly advanced in his service through the ranks of the Varden and was promoted to Captain during one of the uprisings in the city of Dras-Leona.

After his victory in re-capturing the city, Nasuada had made Delan a Lord to govern the Yazuac, a village which had increased to the size of a city under his leadership, and had since become a midway point between the Narda and Ceunon, but also served as one of the eastern trading cities with the Urgals, who lived in and around the Spine, the mountain range that stretched from the upper most reaches of Alagaësia to the southern territory that met with Surda, the allies of the Empire. Lord Ezra, who had governed the city of Yazuac after the death of his father many years before Mira was born, was a hard man, but served the queen as though his life depended on it. The only people whose lives came before Nasuada's was his wife, Lady Gardenia, his son Mira, and his newly born daughter Angela – whom his wife had named after an herbalist that had known her mother some years before the War.

"Mira!" Lord Ezra shouted again, walking forward onto the stone path that cut along the courtyard, his eyes sweeping back and forth, searching for his son. Mira appeared then, just near the gate to the foremost garden that his wife had constructed when she first moved into Unu'lök Castle. She had had many built since, but the first was her favorite. The lord examined his son, a curious loathing welling up inside him for the umpteenth time since his son had first begun to have coherent thoughts. Mira was not the heir that Ezra wanted; he was too kindhearted and gentle, not at all possessing the qualities that a lord ought to have in order to rule. He was much like his mother, Gardenia. He loved his son, but Mira would not become the lord that was needed to inherit Yazuac.

"Yes Father?" Mira asked in his timid fashion, causing another angry jolt to run through his father. Mira was fifteen, younger than most of the other children that the lords and ladies of the country had borne. His long, black hair nearly reached his waist and was flat against his back. His eyes, gray like his mother's, were kind and light. The only features he held of his father were the planes that created his graceful face and his height. In passing, Lord Ezra knew that his son did not resemble a lord's son. It took a few moments of study for one to notice it.

"Mira, come inside. We need to talk," Ezra stated flatly, then turned and stomped into the castle, bypassing doorways, until he entered a sitting room where his wife sat, knitting. Her lengthy black hair shone brightly in the light that entered through the window, and her gray eyes sparkled as she beheld her husband. Ezra settled into a chair heavily then eyed his wife, whose expression questioned him. "Mira." He explained, surfacing a sigh from Gardenia who looked at the door as her son entered the room. Of all the things that she was proud of in her life, her children made her the happiest and proudest.

Mira entered the sitting room and took a seat away from his mother and father, so that he faced them and could see the view of the gardens from the window. Mira often disliked that his father despised his nature so, but he could not help it. He was who he was, and nothing would change that. He gazed at his parents for so long that the silence which enveloped them would have driven a citizen of Yazuac mad. But still, he endured the silence as his father regarded him. He glanced alternately at his mother every few moments, wondering who was going to speak first. Finally, it was his father who broke the quiet.

"Mira… you know that your mother and I love you beyond all else, yes?" Ezra started, watching his son.

"Of course father. You told me yourself that mother, Angela and I came before even Queen Nasuada herself." Mira responded. He spoke courteously as he had been taught, and the sound of his light voice rang clearly, as though chimes were playing on the wind.

"Well, in all of our love, we have long thought about your destiny and who you will grow to become. Will you follow in my footsteps and lead Yazuac? Will you travel? Will you follow some grand journey? Neither I nor your mother can be sure. I do not believe that you will like leading the city – it goes against your nature." Lord Ezra spoke quickly, as if he feared the information he spoke would be heard from outsiders.

Mira considered his father's words carefully. What he was implying, Mira realized, was that his father did not see a future of Mira becoming the Lord of Yazuac. This, Mira was perfectly happy to accept. He did not see himself as a great leader. He was better suited for other tasks, those of which he was not certain himself.

"Your father and I have deeply considered every possible route for you to take, Mira," Gardenia spoke, her clear voice ringing as lightly as Mira's, though hers weighed with heavier authority. "As such, we have decided that we will have two things happen, then. It is the time of year when the Riders will come to bring the eggs to see if they will choose a Rider from here in Yazuac. Your father and I believe that you should see if the egg will hatch for you. After, if this has not occurred, then we have arranged for you to travel to Ilirea, where you will find a certain herbalist by the name of Angela, whom your sister is named for. She will take you under her wing."

His mother's words lay on his ears like heavy weights. Him, a Dragon Rider? The thought was so absurd that he nearly laughed. But then to consider that he would be an apprentice to an herbalist was also absurd. He refrained from asking any questions with the exception of one.

"And when will the egg arrive?"

"If the news is right, then they will arrive here from Daret within a week's time." Lord Ezra answered.

Mira bowed, first to his mother, second to his father, and then strode out of the room. Could he, Mira, son of Lord Ezra and Lady Gardenia, possibly become a Rider? He snorted as he began to climb the staircase that led to his room. _No_, he thought. _Being a Rider is beyond my ability. My parents are fools_.


	2. Chapter One: Visitors

**Chapter One: Visitors**

In the dark of the night, Mira lay on his bed gazing through the single window in his room and up into the starry oblivion. The faint whistle of the wind was blowing, and the trees in front of his window were swaying gently. The faint rocking motion acted like a magician's hypnotic spells, gently carrying Mira into the depths of sleep…

_The wind tore at his hair, his clothes, and even his whole body. Beneath him was a dark expanse of cloud that flashed occasionally, as if the entire sky was angry. Cold, stinging rain tore at his face, forcing him to shield his eyes by averting them elsewhere. He felt a curious sensation playing at the edge of his mind, as though someone or something were trying to speak to him, but he paid little attention to the nuisance as if it were nothing more than a fly buzzing near his ear. Slowly the buzzing grew louder until it was a subtle roar, and he had no choice but to look forward, startled. What he saw nearly made him sick. The huge gaping maw of a dragon, fangs dripping with blood, talons raised, and he was headed straight for it. He blinked, and the apparition was gone, but with him remained the image of death and awe, all combined into one thought._

When dawn cascaded over the city of Yazuac, Mira found he was restless, as though he had done naught but toss and turn throughout the night, though he knew that he had slept like any well-doted-upon baby. He threw the blankets off of him and ran to the window, ignoring the shudder that ran through his body at the sudden cool air in the castle.

He observed nothing out of the ordinary. The two gardens that he could see from his window were being tended to by some of the servants that served their house, and he spotted his mother by an apple tree, holding his sister Angela. He smiled as he watched them for a few moments and then glanced around elsewhere. The sky was a beautiful blue, unclouded, and the great star Aiedail was beginning its ascent. He was turning away from the window when a loud exclamation sounded through the glass in the window. In his haste to turn around to see who had shouted, he lost his footing and fell, twisting his ankle. Cursing under his breath, he got to his feet and peered out of the window once more.

What he saw seemed rather peculiar. His mother was smiling largely and nodding vigorously to a woman of short stature, a cloud of brown curls ensconced her head, with a grin on her face. At her feet was an abnormally large black cat.

He turned from the window, slower and more carefully than before so as to avoid another injury and limped toward his bed. He dressed slowly in a white tunic and breeches, then slipped on his boots and made his way to the door. He ignored the pain that shot through his ankle as he slipped into his normal gait, determined to make a good impression on the woman that his mother seemed so familiar with. After descending the staircase at a slightly slower pace than he normally would, he reached the second level, whereupon he passed his father's study and the library, as well as numerous servants before lighting upon the second flight of stairs, which he took at the same leisurely descent as before.

"Young master, where are you going?" Merton, the household butler asked, not unkindly as was his wont.

"Out to the gardens; if father questions you, tell him it's the orchard specifically." Mira responded, smiling. He opened the door and stepped outside, breathing in the heavy scent of the flowers that drifted on the wind.

Mira walked toward the metal fencing that separated around the four gardens: the orchard, the winter garden, the summer garden, and the yearly garden. The yearly garden had been enchanted to allow a numerous species of flowers to blossom and grow year round, and was Mira's favorite place to go when he needed to escape and just relax for a while. There were many times when, after angering his father for no apparent reason aside from his nature, Mira had hidden himself within the garden for hours on end and wouldn't return to the castle until late in the evening.

He made a turn at the start of the gate and headed around toward the gate of the orchard, where he pushed open the iron-wrought bars and entered amidst the trees. It did not take him long to locate his mother, sister, and their visitor. As they came into focus, he noticed that the woman was looking toward him already, and as he neared closer, his mother turned toward him as well.

"Oh there you are; Mira, this is Angela, the woman we named your sister after, as well as the woman that we had intended to be your teacher should the egg not hatch for you." His mother said, smiling at him, and then looking at the herbalist with a look of such pride and respect that it confused him for a moment.

"So you're Mira? Not what I would have expected you to look like, but nevertheless, good to meet you," Angela said. He was surprised that this woman, who appeared as young as she did, could have lived so long, but as with most things in the world, he knew that she must not be what she seemed. She watched him look down at the large cat by her side, and smiled. "And this is Solembum, a werecat."

"A werecat? But I thought they all lived in Ilirea or elsewhere throughout the empire; the last werecat that we saw around here was named Grizzletail, and he rarely came around for anyone to see." Mira said, smiling at Solembum. He saw the cats eyes change from gold to red for a moment at the mention of the name Grizzletail, but then switched back.

"And you thought he would be a good apprentice?" Complained Angela to his mother, but Mira didn't hear. He was too preoccupied with a sudden _thud_ sound that was repeating itself slowly. At first he thought it might have been his heartbeat. But as the sound grew louder and louder, he realized that it could not have been his heart. He glanced upward, searching the sky, and his eyes widened at the site of two dragons nearing the castle.

One of the dragons, significantly larger than the other, was a deep orange color, like the color of a dying fire, and the smaller was a vibrant purple. The two women had ceased their discussion nearly at the same time as Mira had noticed the dragons, and they watched, along with Solembum, as they pulled their wings in and dived through the air, roaring fiercely. They pulled up and spread their wings early enough that they could slow themselves, and Mira could feel the ground shudder under the weight of the dragons as they alighted just outside the wall that surrounded Unu'lök Castle.

He turned to glance at Angela and his mother, and they exchanged weary glances, then he followed them as they left the orchard and met Lord Ezra, already halfway across the courtyard toward the wall to meet the Riders and their dragons.

Ezra nodded briefly at his wife, raised an eyebrow at Angela, who grinned mischievously, and then headed to the main gate that separated the castle from the rest of Yazuac. By the time the gate opened, the dragons were sitting side by side, watching their Riders, who it shocked Mira to see were an elf and a dwarf, neither of which species had he ever seen.

The elven Rider was tall and graceful and everything the stories that the bards told about them, but even the lengthiest description of the elves from the stories could not accurately depict what was standing before them, in Mira's mind. The elf had long, jet black hair that hung near his shoulders, his large, slanted eyes were a dark gray, like that of a storm cloud. The dwarf was the opposite of the elf's grace. She was stout and stocky, and appeared to come up to Mira's upper arm, just below his shoulder. Her dark brown eyes glanced at them, but did not sparkle like the elf's eyes did. She smiled gingerly at them.

"Lord Ezra, we are pleased to meet you. I hope we haven't arrived too early for your liking?" The elf asked, his voice curiously lilting, as though he wanted to sing the words rather than speak them.

"Well met Riders. We welcome you to Yazuac. You have not arrived too early, for the castle is ready for you. We have amended for your dragons to stay in our orchard, though we know they may feel cramped amongst the trees. They aren't nearly as old as half of the youngest trees in Du Weldenvarden. As for the two of you, we welcome you to find your rooms within Unu'lök Castle. What are your names?" Lord Ezra spoke for what seemed like a decade before finishing off with the question.

The elf was named Valdir and the dwarf was named Aldar. They introduced their dragons then. Or rather, they asked their dragons to introduce themselves, which they did. A pressure appeared in the back of Mira's head which he recognized as someone trying to enter his mind like Lord Ezra had told him and warned him to practice keeping them out, but as he knew it was the dragon's way of speaking, he did not throw up any defenses.

_I am Aravösk_. One of the dragons spoke, her voice a deep hum in his mind. Aravösk was the orange dragon Mira seemed to understand, without being told. Aravösk seemed to grin in his direction before looking at the purple one.

A deep voice filled his head when he heard the purple speak. _And I am Erendor._ The sudden deep gravelly tone of the dragon made Mira chuckle to himself; the sound of the dragon matched that of Aldar, the dwarf. Erendor took notice of his chuckling and twitched his tail as if he knew what was so funny. When Mira had composed himself, he noticed that the Riders were in deep discussion with his father and mother, and were even speaking to Angela as if she knew them.

"…you understand what that could mean, if the egg hatches of course." Valdir was saying, his tone weary.

"Of course we do." Lady Gardenia responded, her expression determined.

"Very well; he can join the others tomorrow during the ceremony," Aldar finished. "And how fares you, O Wise One?" He added, turning toward the herbalist.

"Better. If you please, tell Eragon that he has nothing to fear." She grinned. The Riders bowed to her, and then turned to look at Mira, who they had previous neglected to speak to.

"Ah. So you must be Mira. Atra esterní ono thelduin," Valdir said to him, twisting his hand over his sternum and bowing slightly. Mira stared at him, wide eyed. Those were the words of the Ancient Language. He had only heard them in passing whenever he encountered his father's spell casters doing something. He stiffened, checking himself to see what the spell had done before the elf and dwarf both laughed, the sound of bells chiming and stone grinding mixing together and sending an unearthly chill down his spine. "You need not fear that. It is no spell, but rather a greeting. It means 'may good fortune rule over you'."

"Oh… how do I respond?" Mira asked, awestruck.

"Listen carefully and repeat after me. Mor'ranr lífa una hjarta onr. It means 'may peace live in your heart.'" Aldar instructed.

Mira attempted, maimed, and had to repeat each word as Aldar said them before finally being able to say it properly. He felt strange. Then he mimicked the hand-twisting motion that Valdir had done before.

"Un du evarínya ono varda." Valdir and Aldar finished at the same time. "And may the stars watch over you." Valdir translated.

Mira gazed at them both, his jaw hanging open in awe and respect for the two riders before him. For the first time, Mira hoped that he was lucky enough to have the dragon egg hatch for him.


	3. Chapter Two: The Hands of Fate

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! As many authors on this site always say, more reviews inspire faster writing! I'm glad some of you like my work! Quick warning, this is a longer chapter than the first two. I wrote a lot here. **

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Chapter Two: The Hands of Fate

That Lord Ezra and Lady Gardenia held a feast in honor of the Riders. The kitchens were on full power in Unu'lök Castle, causing the generally chilly air to become nearly suffocating with heat. The usually subdued servants that served House Garrison walked with a sense of purpose and vigor that they normally lacked. Mira kept to his room, ignoring for the most part, the preparations occurring within the castle, entertaining himself with reading a book that he had taken from the library.

As he turned to a new chapter, a presence he didn't recognize pressed against his mind but before he had the chance to prepare himself, a voice spoke to him.

_You must learn to defend yourself quicker_, the voice said.

_Who are you?_ Mira inquired, and an image of Solembum flashed in his mind in response.

_Earlier you said that a werecat named Grizzletail used to live around these parts. Do you know where he might have gone?_ Solembum asked, and there was a slight hint of anger coloring his thoughts. Mira shook his head before remembering that the werecat wasn't able to see him.

_No,_ Mira thought. _I don't. Grizzletail didn't speak to anyone except for a woman named Gretchen who lives outside of Yazuac along the bend of the Ninor River._

Solembum paused for a moment, and then said _Thank you. I have a bit of advice for you. Beware the lands farther north than Du Weldenvarden, as well as the Beor Mountains beyond Tronjheim and Farthen Dûr._

_Why should I beware them?_ Mira asked, but felt the werecat's presence had already retreated from his, and he sighed heavily. Mira had no intentions on travelling out of Alagaësia, so why would Solembum see fit to warn him about the lands beyond the farthest north and southern reaches of the lands?

As Mira was beginning to return to his book, a knock at the door interrupted him. He closed the book and stood, saying "Enter" As he did so.

The door opened to reveal Valdir; the elf had changed out of the black travelling clothes he had worn earlier in exchange for a light green tunic with darker trimming and a pair of dark green breeches. His pointed ears were slightly visible, their points extending out of his long hair. He smiled lightly at Mira.

"May I enter?" The elf asked, and his curious lilting voice again captured and distracted Mira, who took a moment to nod. The elf entered the room, his gait spritely and exceptionally lithe. Mira doubted that even the most skilled dancers in Ilirea could rival the elf's grace.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Valdir." Mira attempted, smiling to himself when he did not mar the greeting in the Ancient Language that Valdir and Aldar had both instructed him earlier.

"Mor'ranr lífa una hjarta onr, Mira-Finiarel. You should stipend the greeting towards Aldar or me with the term '_Vodhr'_, however. I know you were unaware, which is why I have come to you. Would you like to learn the Ancient Language? It is the language that has power over the others, as well as magic itself. You should learn it." Valdir grinned at Mira's use of the Ancient Language.

"What does '_Vodhr_' mean?" Mira asked, and the elf smiled.

"It's a term used to describe a male of a middling-stature if you will. '_Finiarel_' for example means a young man that shows great promise. These things and others will be a part of your education in the Ancient Language. If the egg does not hatch for you tomorrow, you should entreat your parents to have someone educate you in the language. But before that, I wanted to see if you can use magic."

The elf's words startled Mira, and he glanced warily at the door, before looking back at Valdir.

"We should go outside then. There's more space than my bedroom." He motioned toward the bed, and Valdir smiled again, and then followed Mira out of the room. Before Mira knew where he was heading, he found himself entering the gates of the orchard, where the dragons Aravösk and Erendor were curled. Their eyes followed Mira and Valdir as they entered and crossed the orchard toward them.

As they came to a stop, Valdir pulled a stone out of a pocket and handed it to Mira, who gazed at it, and back up at Valdir in slight confusion.

"You're going to try to raise the stone in the air," Valdir instructed. "The words you'll need to know for this spell are relatively simple: stenr rïsa, which means, literally, 'stone, rise'."

Mira practiced saying them until he got them correct, but before he could try it, Valdir started speaking.

"You need to be aware of the few key rules of magic, Mira. Essentially, you can do anything as long as you have the strength, with a few exceptions, such as bringing the dead back to life. That is strictly prohibited, and I would strongly urge you to remember that. Whatever spell you cast will pull its strength from you. So therefore, you can only cast that which you can sustain without dying. It is also important that you word your spells correctly so that you can cut off the flow of the magic if it starts to take too much strength. The larger an object is or the father away an object might be also determines how much energy it takes to use a spell. For instance, lifting the stone in the air here would be easier to do than say, lifting a stone in the Ninor River from here, or say, lifting Aravösk into the air."

_Not that you would be able to succeed before I ripped your head off_, Aravösk seemed to laugh at her words, still eyeing them.

"That's so much to remember…" Mira said after he realized that the dragon was joking, looking distraught.

"Not to worry. You won't be able to do much if you can produce magic yet, but you have to be careful nevertheless. Now; empty your mind. Let all thoughts wonder out of your head, and breathe. Once you've gotten full concentration, search for a tiny nub in your mind. It might feel like a gate that you will have to breach for the energy. Don't worry if it takes a while – most humans spend years before they find their source."

Mira nodded before clearing his mind, which was a simple enough task for him. Mira was a quiet person by nature, and his thoughts were usually just like him – quiet. When he could think of nothing, he began to search himself and his mind. It felt to Mira like he was sifting through memories.

"Valdir-Vodhr… should I be sifting through memories?" Mira asked after a few minutes of searching.

"No, rather you should not have to think to find it. It will almost seem undetectable." Valdir answered.

After a few moments of searching, Mira thought he felt something, like a small little reserve in the back of his mind.

"Stenr rïsa." He said, glancing at the stone hopefully. Nothing happened. He looked at the elf, who smiled encouragingly.

"Do not worry. Try it again, but this time, mean the words. You must will the stone to rise into the air. A master magician can say 'water' but summon something entirely different if he wills it." Valdir told him.

Mira nodded, searched his mind for the bundle in the back of his mind, thought about what he wanted the stone to do, and then glanced at the stone before repeating the spell.

After a few moments, he felt the nub give way and energy filtered into his mind. He stared in awe as the rock rose for a moment into the air, wobbling, but then fell back into his palm. He felt the fatigue a few moments after it went back into his hand, and wondered at what he had done. He, Mira, worthless son of a great lord, had just used magic.

"Very well done!" Valdir exclaimed, startling Mira, his face splitting into a wide grin. Mira smiled in response and they shared a moment of triumph before the bell tolled from the castle, signaling time for dinner.

Together the Rider and lord's son returned to the castle and then entered the dining room, where they took seats beside each other, Mira in his usual spot across from his mother, who sat beside her husband at the head of the table. Aldar joined them soon thereafter, seating himself next to Lady Gardenia.

They exchanged pleasantries and the dinner was served. Mira took delight in the extravagance of the meal before them, which the cooks had pulled out from the oldest and richest recipes. Though they were a rich household, they did not indulge themselves out of spite.

"Mother, father, Valdir taught me some magic," Mira said when his mother inquired about his day. The table went quiet for a moment before Lord Ezra glanced at his wife and then toward Valdir.

"He is able to use magic?" Ezra asked, his gaze suddenly bright.

"Indeed. He was able to pull off a spell that a vast majority of humans are unable to get within their first week of working with magic. He shows promise." Valdir responded, smiling.

The rest of the dinner moved about rather quickly and then Mira found himself in his room, suddenly worn out from the day. That night as he drifted off to sleep, he heard what sounded like humming coming from the window.

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At dawn, a servant woke Mira by rapping on his door.

"Come, wake Master Mira. Today is a bright day! The hands of fate will hold you in high standing, of that I'm sure." She said, opening the window. The servant was a maid named Raya who had been in service to Lady Gardenia before marrying Lord Ezra.

After she left, Mira rose and dressed himself in a light gray tunic and darker gray breeches. As he shoved his feet into his boots, a thud of air being buffeted caught his attention and he watched both dragons rise above the orchard and the wall that surrounded the far edge of it, then speed toward the direction of the square in front of the wall which surrounded the grounds to Unu'lök castle. He smiled to himself for a moment, remembering the magic from yesterday, and then left his room.

Soon, they left the castle and walked through the gate that was set in the wall that separated the castle from the rest of Yazuac. Though Mira rarely ventured outside of the castle walls, he knew a few people that lived in Yazuac by name. He smiled and waved at two friends of his, Marlena and Ry, the twin brother and sister. They waved back but didn't smile. It wasn't long after that the whole of Yazuac was gathered in the square, watching the Riders and dragons.

They talked at some length about the Riders and what they existed for, their downfall, talked about the Great War, the downfall of Galbatorix, and how Eragon Shadeslayer had been rebuilding the riders to their former glory.

Finally, they got to the part that the city had gathered for – to see if the egg would hatch. Slowly, the people who had decided to see if the dragon would hatch began to line up. The ages were greatly varied, between eleven and five and twenty years, and their numbers were vast.

Aldar sat a small black table onto the raised platform and then pulled out a chest from within Erendor's saddlebags. It was ornate, with silver fastenings and designs, and looked as if it would cost a fortune if it had been within a shop. He removed a key and unlocked the first lock, then muttered a word in the ancient language, which caused the remaining four locks on either side to open. He opened the lid, and within, nestled amongst white cushions, was a rose colored egg, that had bands of white, and darker and lighter pinks mixed throughout. It was, to Mira, the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen.

The procession began slowly. Every person who reached the egg spent around five minutes before the egg, staring at it and gently touching it. They walked away, each looking more and more despondent. Finally, after an hour of this had past, and Mira's anxiety levels built, it was his turn to walk to the egg and try his luck with the dragon egg and dragon that had remained within its egg.

He stood before it, gazing into its contours. He followed various bands of the white that ran throughout it, memorizing each curve. He finally reached a hand out and touched it. The egg was perfectly smooth, as though some jeweler had spent all his craft and time to make it perfect. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, reaching outward toward the egg. As he touched the presence, it felt vast, old, and alien. Before he even uttered something, he felt a change in the mood surrounding him. It felt as though a fire had sparked.

He retreated into his own mind, and opened his eyes, glancing once more at the egg. For a moment nothing happened. Then the egg began to shake. It was subtle at first. Only he noticed it. And then it began to shake harder. A soft _tap tap tap_ sounded from the egg, and the crowd gasped as if it had been holding its breath. He dared not look away, but he could feel the eyes of the entire crowd looking at him, as well as those of Valdir and Aldar.

Mira's eyes grew wide, his mouth opening into a small 'o'. This was more than he ever expected. Before he had the time to process what he was seeing, the egg went still. It was motionless for only a moment before it continued, more vigorously than before. The soft _tap_ sounded louder, and then, a crack appeared in the perfectly smooth shell of the egg. The crack spread throughout the shell, and a few more taps succeeded the crack, which seemed to hold steady. After a few moments of this, a loud _crack!_ shot through the air, and the egg broke into pieces, revealing what had been inside.

A coarse off-white placenta was covering the being, and it didn't take long for the snout of the dragon to get out of it. It promptly snapped up the placenta, eating it, before looking around.

The dragon was the same rosy pink color that the egg shell had been, with white spikes rising off of its neck and extending down its spine and tail. Traces of darker pink surrounded the eyes, with the eyes themselves being a multitude of pinks that Mira couldn't identify. The dragon's pupil was catlike, and the dragon sat there, looking at him. The webs of skin that made up the dragon's wings were a lighter pink than its body, but when folded, they appeared to be a magenta color. The lightest pink resided on the dragons belly and under scales. The scales all around shone with an unearthly iridescence, causing each individual scale to sparkle. All of this, Mira realized, he noticed in a few seconds. The dragon, in his opinion, was the most beautiful thing next to the egg he had ever seen.

Valdir appeared at his side, whispering into his ear, "Mira, you must make contact with her to forge your bond as dragon and Rider. Quickly!" The elf's sense of urgency, Mira realized, was that the crowd was getting anxious.

Reaching his hand out, he settled his hand onto the dragon's head, and an icy blast shot through his hand. His body tightened and tensed, and he found that he couldn't move. It felt like every inch of his body was burning, then freezing, and then returning to normal. The ordeal of energy coursed through his body, and then as it left him, he blacked out.


	4. Chapter Three: A Change of Heart

**A/N: I added a LOT of work here. Over 3,000 words were used in the making of this chapter. I will try to make my chapters around the same length here if that's what you all want. Just let me know in the reviews!**

**bigmatt365: Of course I'm not going to name her Rose. You would have to be incredibly uncreative to give a dragon such a simple name ;)**

**Syowa: I'm glad you like having her being a pink dragon! And don't worry, your English is fine!**

XXX

Chapter Three: A Change of Heart

Mira returned to consciousness soon after the energy finished its toll on his body. There was an odd tingling sensation around his palm, as though it had been numb for some time and the blood within his veins was now able to supply its life-sustaining flow equally once more. He opened his eyes to see Valdir holding his head and watching him intently.

"Do not try to move too quickly. Your bond with your dragon must have been too much for your body to handle, but you're fine now. You were only unconscious for a few moments, no longer than two minutes." Valdir explained and proceeded to help Mira to his feet. Mira felt dizzy for a moment, but as soon as his head cleared, his eyes tore straight to the pink dragon.

She was sniffing the air curiously, a forked red tongue flashing out of and into her mouth. Where her mouth opened slightly, Mira could see rows of flashing white teeth. He took a step toward her and hesitantly stuck his hand out. She hesitated a moment, then pushed her head into his hand. He flinched, but the energy didn't pass through him like it had before. He rubbed her head gently, feeling the smooth scales. He still couldn't believe it, that she had hatched for him.

After a few moments of this, he became aware that a presence was pressing against his mind, but it wasn't very strong, at least, not when compared to Solembum or even Aravösk and Erendor. Realizing that it must have been the dragon, he pushed his mind toward the nub that was her. Feeling her mind was like feeling a vast ocean, the waves rushing over him. She was sending emotions, if you could call it sending, and they were muddled by her young age, but Mira could identify her curiosity for the world around her, now that she was outside of her shell. But lingering over everything was a feeling of love toward Mira. He pulled his hand away for a moment, and felt a stab of annoyance from his lack of contact.

He smiled and put his hand back down hear her head and continued to rub her scales, before looking at Valdir and Aldar, who were grinning at him. The majority of the square lingered, save for the most annoyed families that were angry that they had not been given the honor of becoming the dragon's Rider.

"Something else is it not?" Aldar asked, his rough voice joyous.

Mira nodded, unable to speak. He looked back down at the dragon, wondering what her name was. He voiced his question to Valdir and Aldar, who chuckled and shook their heads.

"That is for the two of you to decide. You will teach her to speak and communicate over your length. Conjure up pictures in your mind and tell her the word for each, including the significance it carries. When she can understand you, you can begin the naming process. Aldar and I will supply you with the names that we know, or you may decide on one entirely different. It varies, depending on the partners involved. Aravösk was named after her sire's mother, for example." Valdir explained.

Mira nodded once more and then looked around him. The people had begun to drift off now that the dragon had hatched and they knew that she was not going to be named quickly. The only ones that remained motionless were his father and mother, as well as Angela the herbalist and Solembum the werecat. When he caught his father's eye, Ezra nodded at him and then began to inch his way toward the raised dais. Lady Gardenia noticed her husband's movements and followed thereafter. Angela raised a hand toward Mira and then turned away, Solembum following after her.

"So the dragon hatched after all. I'm proud of you, boy." Ezra mumbled, looking at the dragon before turning his gaze onto his son. Mira smiled, but he knew that the pride in his father was being mixed with confusion and partial anger. He would never be the son that his father craved, and for that, he was sorry.

"Father," Mira acknowledged.

"When will you be leaving then?" Lady Gardenia asked hesitantly, looking at Valdir and Aldar. The two Riders grinned.

"I'm afraid that we'll have to remain in Yazuac for a while until the dragon has learned to properly communicate, hunt, fly, and other things that a dragon needs to survive. When Aravösk hatched for me, we remained within Osilon for a month," Valdir said.

"But it could be anytime," Aldar added. "When Erendor hatched, we only remained in Tronjheim for two weeks. Raising dragons is a tricky and uncertain business. Knurla are a hardy people."

"Then you will be welcome to stay as long as necessary. After all, we would not send our only son to his destiny before he is ready. And we could not bear sending an unprotected dragon into the wilderness where she might be killed instantly." Gardenia insisted, and her point grew emphatic as she spoke.

"We'll prepare a feast and the whole of Yazuac may well be within the walls of Unu'lök tonight, in the honor of Mira and his dragon," Lord Ezra said after a bit, afraid that his wife might ramble on and keep them there. "And Mira, you should name the dragon quickly. Calling her 'the dragon' for longer than necessary will grow tiring."

With that, the lord and lady swept themselves off toward the castle gates, whereupon the Riders followed. Mira watched for a moment, making sure that the dragon could walk properly, laughing gently when she tripped over her tail. She let out a disgruntled snort, and then resumed her walking, holding her head up and looking dignified. After a few more hesitant steps, it seemed that she was getting the hang of it, but Mira knew that she would not be able to walk the whole way, not having just hatched. So he bent down, scooping her up into his arms, where she nestled herself to look forward.

_She will make a promising dragon. And you will be a great Rider. I can sense it._ Erendor rumbled. Mira grinned.

_I certainly hope that I don't let her or anyone down._ Mira responded, and received an emotion of which he was unsure.

_Do not strive to make the world happy, Mira. Your duty is to yourself and your dragon, first and foremost, then your duty as a Rider, and finally to family and friends. Your bond with her is more than you know yet. You will notice that she will not ever just remove herself from your mind simply to do so. She is now as much a part of you as you are a part of her. You must protect one another no matter what happens._

Mira took all of Erendor's words in, thinking of what he was implying. This dragon… he knew that she meant quite a bit to him. Already he was growing used to having her in and attached to his mind. He would strive, and as long as it was in his power, would never let harm come to her. Satisfaction emanated from both Aravösk and Erendor as his thoughts touched their minds.

XXX

That night was an intense volley of meeting new people that Mira hadn't even met before as the citizens of Yazuac attended the feast that Lord Ezra had thrown in honor of Mira's new status as a Rider, as well as the newborn dragon.

After greeting and shaking hands with nearly everyone in Yazuac, Mira excused himself as the feast drew to an end and retired to his quarters, his dragon tagging along behind her. He had been conversing with Valdir and Aldar as well as Aravösk and Erendor nearly the entire night, learning new things about Riders and dragons, learning how best to deal with the woman who begged him to bless the child within her womb – who Valdir pulled aside to speak with, due to his intense knowledge of magic and its inner workings – amongst other things, and had even been relaying his emotions of the night toward the dragon.

As they began climbing the stairs, the dragon, Mira realized, wasn't strong enough to pull herself over the entire flight yet. He scooped her into his arms once more as he had earlier on their return to the castle, but this time she wriggled out of his grasp and stole up to his shoulder, where she dug her claws into the fabric to hold on. He grinned at her and reached a hand upward, nuzzling her head and scratching the scales where her jaw met at the base of her skull. She let out a deep humming sound, which continued until they reached the floor where his room was. She jumped down, opening her wings, and gently glided to the floor, where she continued to walk alongside him.

Opening the door to his room, he found Aravösk's head sticking into his window, watching for his arrival. The huge orange dragon had one eye turned to look at him and the hatchling.

_Mira, I've come to instruct you for a moment. Teaching a dragon to communicate is tricky business. You and I shall teach her, you being her partner, and myself being a dragon – she will learn the best with both of us._

_Of course, Aravösk! I couldn't wish for anything better!_ Mira's excitement at hoping for his dragon to begin communicating with words rather than just emotions and pictures almost stopped Aravösk from giving Mira a quick lesson in Ancient Language etiquette – almost.

_Mira, whilst I teach you, you will refer to me as Ebrithil or Master, no other. When I release my duty as a teacher, then you can call me by my name, but until then, no other name. Erendor, Valdir, and Aldar alike should they deign to teach you, will also be Ebrithil or Master._

_Aravösk, do not lecture the boy,_ Valdir said in their minds. _Mira, do call her Ebrithil or Master, whichever you prefer; as for myself and Aldar, we are just our names, with the occasional vodhr attached. You will have to ask Erendor which suffix he prefers. He and Aravösk hatched within a few weeks of one another, so he has always just been Erendor to me._ He withdrew from their contact then, enjoying the remainder of the feast below, Mira knew.

The orange dragon turned her attention back to Mira, and then let out a deep rumbling cough, which Mira knew suddenly to be a dragon's form of laughter.

Together, they began to teach the newborn dragon. They began to show her things, and then say the name of the object using their minds, and then Aravösk would instruct her on how to say words using her mind. Her voice was low-pitched, but surprisingly sweet. She took a liking to learning, and quickly ate the knowledge up, eager to communicate.

When she had gone through a list of words without repeating them, she looked at Mira.

_Mira,_ she said. It was simple enough, but hearing her say his name filled him with such joy that he nearly wept.

Throughout the night, they instructed her with basic phrases, explaining what certain words were used for when they didn't have images to show her, such as who, what, when, where, why, and how. Finally, she could begin forming coherent thoughts without needing too much help.

_What is my name?_ She asked. The question caught both Mira and Aravösk off guard.

_You know it instinctively, little one, _Aravösk said. The dragon chuckled, and then told Mira what that meant.

_She knows her name, but does not know it in this language. When you speak it, warmth will fill the connection between the two of you, and her satisfaction will be so evident that you'll know that you have found it._

So, Aravösk and Erendor, along with Valdir and Aldar who joined quickly after the first few names began to name dragons that lived in the past.

Ophelia was one, but she so vehemently rejected it, that they moved on quickly. Others, like Aravösk, Jornunvösk, and Mirimel were all rejected by the hatchling. They had begun to deplete their supply of names, and so Aldar and Valdir began to name elves, dwarves, and humans alike, all of which she was rejecting. It was becoming clear to Mira that they might have to create a name for her.

_What about something that hasn't been used before? I've studied how mothers name their children – it typically has something to do with how they were conceived or born, and under what circumstances. I have a friend named Skylark, simply because a lark was nesting in the window and it was a cloudless blue sky on the day she was born._ Mira suggested.

The others agreed, and they sat for some time attempting to come up with names. Finally, when it seemed to Mira that they had no hope, he thought of something. Something pretty, but it was also something striking. It rang in his mind, and he liked the sound of it.

_Are you Celestíra?_ He asked. The sudden warmth and satisfaction that he felt from the hatchling confirmed it without her speaking.

_I am Celestíra, _she said, her mind proud. Mira smiled, before looking up to Aravösk, whose orange eye was sparkling.

_A good name,_ she concluded. The others agreed.

It was only then, after noticing that it was deep into the night and that the feast had ended an hour before, Mira climbed into his bed, pulling the covers up close near his chin. Aravösk bade them a good night, pulling her head back through the window, and Celestíra climbed onto the bed and settled into the space left on his pillow close to the wall. She began to hum deep in her chest, and the gentle sound was beginning to lull him into a sleep.

Two dragons and Riders wished him and Celestíra a good night. It wasn't long after that they lost consciousness and slipped into the dark void that was their dreams.

XXX

The following weeks were trying for House Garrison. A place had been set for both of the Riders at the dinner table and Lord Ezra had to order a few citizens of Yazuac who had animals to give a few cows over to Erendor and Aravösk, which he compensated with gold and giving them a tax exemption for half the year.

Whilst they waited for Celestíra to grow large enough to fly and hunt on her own, Valdir trained him in the Ancient Language and use of magic, which Aldar watched and helped where he could. Mira soon learned that Aldar wasn't nearly as skilled in magic as Valdir was, which the elf explained was due to the fact that he had been raised speaking the Ancient Language, as all elves were, and that he had lived in Osilon for most of his life until he became a Rider. Aldar on the other hand, had taken on the daunting task of being fluent in not only the tongue of the Dwarves, but also that of humans and the Ancient Language.

"But don't let my tongue-tying confuse you. I can cast a mean spell if I choose," Aldar had joked.

Mira grew ever stronger in his magical abilities. It soon took him no more energy to lift a stone than it did to walk from his room to the orchard. Valdir complemented Mira on his magical prowess, saying that he was a natural at it.

"Our Master will be pleased," Was Aldar's only comment about his abilities, and both he and Valdir refused any information on who that was.

Celestíra grew at an exponential rate, and was able to fly on her own now. She still slept in his room, though she was getting too big to fit through the doorway without scratching some of the stone wall. She went with Aravösk and Erendor when they went hunting, and had been so prideful of her first kill – a squirrel – that she had shown Mira and recounted her stalking of it to even the gory details of eating it; he squirmed uneasily at the imagery, his stomach threatening to be sick.

Like with the sharing of her squirrel story, so to became their daily habit of sharing anything and everything. Their minds remained as open books and they constantly talked to one another. The bond that they shared continued to grow strong, which Valdir and Aldar, as well as Erendor and Aravösk seemed to take great pleasure in. It was just what Mira had always wanted – someone who understood him. He felt that he and Celestíra were very much similar.

When it became clear that Celestíra was old enough for travel, nearly a month and a half had passed. Yazuac was beginning to grow anxious for their departure, as the dragons and citizens alike were suffering from the increase in money that was used to feed the Riders and dragons.

Lord Ezra ordered two horses and saddles be brought for Mira and the Riders, who would alternate being on the ground with him and being in the air with the dragons, and supplies enough to fill all of their saddlebags.

On the day of their departure, Mira stood before his parents in the throne hall, which they rarely used except for on matters that required Ezra to dictate law. Lord Ezra's expression was somber, and Lady Gardenia was barely holding together, her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy due to crying all morning. Lord Ezra spoke first.

"Mira… my son; fifteen years ago, you were born into this world, and now you leave my house, not as a citizen of the Empire, but as a Dragon Rider. I have long spurned your nature – cursing that you weren't more Lord-like. I am woeful for how I have treated you. You're my son and I should have been a better father. I should have known you better than I did, and not pushed you as hard as I have. Therefore, my son… can you forgive an old man's folly?" His words caught Mira off-guard. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to speak for a moment.

_Don't just stand there like a deer who has just noticed it is being stalked. Say something!_ Celestíra chided, and it was her thoughts that enabled Mira to act.

"Father… I forgive you. I understand why you acted the way you did, even if I didn't agree with you. Will you and mother give me your blessings, so that I may go, knowing that you wish us the most?"

They deigned that they would, and did so. Before they left, Lady Gardenia stood and pulled her son into a tight hug, whispering into his ear.

"Do not stay away for too long, my son. Your sister should know her brother as a sister should, not just that you are a Rider. Also your visits would assuage my – and your father's – heart. Take care, my child. Know that I love you greatly." With that she pulled away and returned to her seat, dabbing at her eyes with a kerchief.

After expressing that he would return when he was able, he and Celestíra exited the hall and met Valdir and Aldar, who were near the dragons and horses, who were shying away from Aravösk and Erendor.

"Are you ready?" Valdir asked, looking at him as he approached.

"I am." Mira responded.

"Let us ride then." Valdir said, jumping onto Aravösk's leg and into the saddle so quickly that he blurred for a moment. Aldar had trouble climbing into the horse's saddle, but was able to do so soon after getting help from Mira, who climbed into the saddle of the other horse. Celestíra walked over near Erendor and Aravösk, and prepared for flight. When they were all settled, the dragons opened their wings and began to beat them hard, lifting themselves up. The horses whinnied and moved away, but once the dragons were rising above the castle, they galloped out of the wall surrounding Castle Unu'lök, and then headed toward the gate of Yazuac.

Mira took another glance at his home, bracing himself as he steered the mare out of Yazuac and onto the road. He was starting the journey of a lifetime.


	5. Chapter Four: Curiosity at Ceunon

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you to my readers for keeping up with my story, and thanks to those who have reviewed – it helps guide my writing so that I know what you all like and what you don't. Two my readers who haven't left any reviews, please do (or send me a PM)! Reviews helps the writing process go smoother and tells me what you like, what you didn't like, which direction you would like the story to go in (even though I may take it through multiple twists and turns that you won't be expecting ;) and maybe even to places that you don't like quite nearly as much) and all in all is just very helpful!**

XXX

Chapter Four: Curiosity at Ceunon

Riding, it soon became clear to Mira, was not the most comfortable of things to do for any extended period of time. Aldar and Valdir switched places between the horse and dragons every three hours, during which they would all stop to take a few draughts from a wineskin and stretch before beginning their journey again. They headed north from Yazuac, toward the elven outpost of Ceunon. After the end of the War, the elves and humans had agreed to combine their forces at Ceunon to create a large flourishing city for trading and for keeping the two species friendly toward one another.

The dragons were impatient with their slow progress, and they even told Mira as much.

_It is a shame that you must ride such a harried animal that cowers whenever we land and take off. I could easily eat it for a snack._ Celestíra mentioned to him when she took off after the first time they had come to a stop.

_It is a shame that you aren't stronger Celestíra_, _or else he could be riding you now like he is supposed to be._ Erendor chided in response, and Celestíra huffed in frustration, pumping her wings harder than before – as if to prove to her elders that she wasn't as weak as they thought she was.

Throughout their journey, the older dragons taught much to Celestíra about her kind and their many habits. They guided her gently in ways that strengthened her; all of the things that she learned, she was eager to share with Mira, who took delight in them as well. They had expanded their minds to touch consistently and openly, thus he took as much part in her lessons as she did.

Similarly, on the ground with both Valdir and Aldar, she and Mira learned about the societies and histories of the elves and dwarves. They alternated every hour what his lesson would be on. During the first hour of being on horseback, Valdir and Aldar would teach him things about their respective people, during the second he would learn more of the ancient language, and then during the third, he would practice magic with Valdir and learn some phrases in Dwarvish with Aldar.

When the fourth day of traveling came to an end, they had made camp alongside the Anora River. Ceunon was on the horizon, a small twinkle of light. As Mira disengaged himself from the horse, he groaned.

"Barzul…" He muttered, using the Dwarvish curse that Aldar seemed fairly attached to. After teaching him a few phrases in the language of the dwarves, he would mutter the swear a few times, stroking his beard, and gazing skyward toward Erendor's purple shape. At his utterance of the word, Aldar broke into laughter.

"Taking a liking to the word already I see," He grinned, and clapped him on the back. They sat around a fire, lit by Aravösk. Aldar was teaching him how to produce a stew using the fish that they had Mira lift out of the Anora, while Valdir sat eating a slice of bread and a small bowl of berries and other vegetables. When Mira had inquired the elf about his eating habits, he chuckled.

"When you share thoughts with animals around you, it is… much more difficult to justify their death with your selfish desires," He gave a small smile and then returned to his vegetable stew.

After the fish stew had finished, he and Aldar ate. The camp fell into a slight silence, and then with the end of the meal, Mira got up to move toward Celestíra. She extended a wing and he lay down close to her, settling against her warm belly. She was humming, as she always did when he was close.

_Soon, I will be strong enough to carry you when I fly. Then we will be truly dragon and Rider, as we are titled._ She said to him as he got comfortable.

_Do you know how long that might be? I'm not sure that I can keep going on that horse. _He responded, already dreading the shorter ride toward Ceunon the following day.

_Probably a week or so; I already feel much stronger than I did when we set out from Yazuac. Aravösk and Erendor have been testing my endurance with stones and boulders. I've argued that you are much smaller than the ones that they have had me carry, but they said that I must be able to go long distances without tiring too easily. Either way, I just want you on my back so that I don't have to worry about you getting hurt._ Celestíra told him. Her expression of love with the last sentence made Mira smile.

_I'm not going to be hurt with three dragons and two Riders looking after me_, he told her.

_All the same,_ she huffed. It wasn't long after that that Mira drifted off into sleep, the dark depths washing over him like a gentle breeze. He was eager for sleep – the hard day of traveling had taken a lot out of him, not to mention the use of magic he had been commanding over the last few days.

XXX

When the morning came, Mira woke, surrounded in a world of pink; he let his mind wander for some time, following trails of dark veins in Celestíra's wing. When he sensed that she had woken, he made to crawl out from under her wing. As he did, he felt a tendril of thought pressing against his mind, and as Valdir had taught him, he looked directly at one of Celestíra's scales, letting all other thoughts drain away from him. Nothing could break his concentration. He felt Celestíra tense beside him, and he guessed that she was experiencing the unknown presence as well.

It took him a moment to hear Valdir shouting his name, and when he finally took notice, his shield broke. In that moment, the tendril of thought flashed through his mind, and a gentle voice sounded throughout his mind.

_Well done hatchlings_, a woman's voice said in their minds. She had a curious lilt to her voice, and Mira realized that she must be an elf. _We await your arrival here in Ceunon. When you arrive, I shall meet you. My name is Yaela – I command the elves of Ceunon._

Before Mira could respond, Yaela severed the contact with them. He immediately felt relief at having the woman out of his mind and could feel that Celestíra felt the same.

"That was Yaela. I'm afraid that she's a bit… abrasive from time to time," Valdir explained, smiling. "She wanted to test your abilities; she seemed pleased enough."

"I should hope so. Didn't you say that it was inconsiderate and a violation of a person to infiltrate their minds?" Mira inquired, resting a hand on Celestíra's shoulder.

"She wouldn't have taken over like that if you hadn't thrown up your borders," Valdir smiled. "But you did well, nevertheless. Considering you did not know her, your actions are justified."

"How long until we reach Ceunon?" Mira asked, changing the topic after some silence.

"Oh, maybe a half a day's ride," Valdir responded, and raised an eyebrow when Mira groaned.

"You're taking the horse first," Aldar interrupted then, the dwarf already on Erendor's back. Valdir narrowed his eyes at Aldar in slight annoyance but said nothing as he reached the companion horse.

When the three dragons and Aldar took to the sky, the elf and Mira steered the horses toward Ceunon.

"Now, when you meet Yaela, you will greet her first. Remember the greetings that I instructed you in the Ancient Language. And if you can help it – which is why we have been giving you so many lessons in the Ancient Language – you will be fluent in it. It is the native tongue of the elves." Valdir said as they began riding.

Mira said nothing, but remained silent. Unlike the last few days, neither Valdir nor Aldar instructed him. They barely even conversed. It seemed, to Mira, that all of the members of their party were consumed in their own thoughts.

When Valdir explained that they were going to Du Weldenvarden on the first day of travel, it caught Mira off-guard.

"Du Weldenvarden?" He inquired nervously. Valdir was the only elf he had ever had extensive contact with, but even so he was nothing like the stories always said that they were – cold and aloof creatures.

"Yes. You will continue the start of your training with the elves, as is custom. When we finish the early stages of your work there, then we will go to the Beor Mountains where you will greet the dwarves. It's a long and arduous journey. But do not worry. You'll be fine."

Looking back on the elf's promise, he was beginning to doubt it. There was so much to be done… he was not sure that he was able to do it all.

_Little one, do not worry so much. I am a dragon and you are my Rider. Together we accomplish beyond what you think we can._ Celestírainterrupted his thoughts. He extended his gratitude for her words, but said nothing in response.

The day quickly passed, and when Aiedail was directly overhead, they drew near Ceunon. There were shouts of commands. Aldar and Mira gazed toward the city as life buzzed around the gates. Overhead they heard Celestíra roar and the three dragons dropped from the sky, their scales glimmering in the light. When they were close enough, the three dragons opened their wings and slowed their descent, the impact of their immense weight on the earth causing it to shake.

"Prepare yourself, Mira. You haven't had much exposure to the masses. Riders are a celebrated order," Aldar managed to say amidst the alarmed screams of the horses.

Mira nodded and instinctively put his mind out to Celestíra for comfort, but she offered no consolation other than _They are merely human and elf. Do not let them intimidate you._

_Thanks,_ He grimaced, and she chuckled. When they got the horses under control, they trotted to the gates of Ceunon, and the captain of the gates stepped forward.

"Captain Roark, Riders. Welcome to Ceunon. If you will follow me, I will take you to Lady Yaela. Leave your horses here." He paused and then turned his head to the side to shout a command. A moment later a boy appeared, his eyes wide, staring at Aldar and Mira, and Valdir as he joined them from where he had been previously perched in Aravösk's saddle. Mira and Aldar dropped down off the horses, and the boy led them off, looking back every few seconds to glance at them.

Mira glanced at Roark. He was human. His voice wasn't as light at melodic as the elves. His long curly hair was grayed, and he sported a beard that was finely trimmed. As they began following Captain Roark paused and then turned to face them.

"I'm afraid that Ceunon hasn't created proper housing for dragons, and the city isn't big enough to let them walk through the streets. Perhaps they could fly to the castle and land in the courtyard?"

Though his words were not unkind, they carried an air of defiance, something that Mira was unaccustomed to. It took him a moment to realize that this man must be used to getting his way, and he wasn't going to let some Rider push him around.

Valdir bobbed his head in acknowledgement and silently said something to Aravösk, who told Erendor and Celestíra that they would fly directly to the castle.

As the dragons lifted themselves into the air, the men surrounding them stopped to look up, and Mira wondered if any of them had even seen a dragon before.

They passed through the gates and into the city. Smoke rose from chimneys as the bitter winter air bit through the streets in winds like sharp knives. Many of the buildings appeared to be single stories, although a few had an occasional second floor where Mira assumed shopkeepers lived above their stores. The majority of the city was a strange conglomeration of stone houses, and other houses which appeared to have grown out of the grown, and one that was even inside of a tree.

These houses, Valdir explained, was the work of the elves. They sang in the Ancient Language, to produce effects that the humans had little to no understanding in how to produce them. Mira admired the elven homes that he passed, wondering how much energy it might take to produce something quite so phenomenal.

As they left the outer ring, the houses became more extravagant; multi-story homes sprung up everywhere, and they passed what he took to be an inn. Citizens of Ceunon gawked at the Riders, as though they had never seen anything quite so strange in their lives. One woman, who was laying out a freshly baked pie to cool in her window, shouted something incoherent, and a moment later, the door of their home opened and a man with white hair stepped out, his clothes worn, but regal. He approached Captain Roark, who stopped walking to converse with the man. A moment later, the captain stepped aside and the man approached.

He had a long hooked nose set above a thin mouth, and piercing blue eyes the color of ice. Mira guessed that the man was older than his father, and then man bowed to Valdir and Aldar in turn, then to him. Mira watched him, his eyes growing wide as the older gentleman bowed to him.

"I am Sir Wendell Harksson, Argetlam. I serve Lord Uriah of House Mirandor, who serves as the lord of the humans within Ceunon. Please allow me to escort you to his holdings within the castle," Wendell said, bowing again.

"Forgive me for saying no, Sir Wendell, but I'm afraid we already have an audience with Lady Yaela. Perhaps it would serve us all if you were to escort Lord Uriah to Lady Yaela's quarters; that way both of them may have their hospitality and we can greet both of them," Valdir instructed smoothly. The man bowed again and then turned on his heel, heading before them toward the castle.

"You handle people so well," Mira observed to Valdir when they continued their march toward the center of Ceunon.

"One learns to be… convincing," Valdir answered, a small smile on his face. When they had finally completed their march through the whole of Ceunon, they arrived at the castle courtyard.

_Two-legs move very slowly,_ Celestíra commented when she saw Mira, who clucked his tongue mentally at her in response.

Waiting in the courtyard alongside the three dragons were Lady Yaela and Lord Uriah, standing beside one another like old friends might. Yaela watched their approach passively, her slanted eyes darting between them all, until they landed on Mira. Her gaze unnerved him, but he refused to buckle under her stare.

Lady Yaela had long silver hair, a corselet of white-gold on her brow that was shaped to look like elegant vines, and wore a long dress of light green. Lord Uriah was a stark contrast to his elven counterpart. He had dark skin the color of midnight and hair that hung in dreadlocks around his shoulders. He gaze was cheerful as he watched them approach, and his tawny eyes moved lazily from one person to another. He wore robes of dark burgundy and stood with a slight hunched posture, as though he had been wounded.

"Welcome, to Ceunon! We hope that you had a pleasant journey from Yazuac?" Uriah began, walking toward the procession. The cavalcade around them stopped and bowed slightly as he approached, and Lady Yaela accompanied him, though more quietly.

"Our journey was nothing we couldn't handle. How do you fare, Lord Uriah?" Valdir asked. The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment before Valdir turned to Lady Yaela.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Yaela Svit-Kona," He greeted her, using a suffix that he had not previously taught to Mira. He then twisted his arm around his sternum and bowed in the sign of the elf greeting.

"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Shur'tugal," Lady Yaela said in response, still eying Mira. She too twisted her hand around her sternum and bowed, though not as deeply as Valdir had.

"Un du evarínya ono varda," Valdir finished. Then Aldar and finally Mira repeated the process, first speaking to Lord Uriah, and then to Lady Yaela. When the pleasantries came to an end, the conversation turned to their dragons.

"I'm afraid that Ceunon doesn't have proper dragon holds. Would you mind to stay in the high garden? There will be plenty of space for you," Lady Yaela said, bowing in turn to each of the dragons.

The dragons indicated their consent using Valdir as their medium, and Lady Yaela dispatched an elf to escort the dragons to the high garden, which lay on the other side of the castle, above a hill that extended for two or three leagues. When only the humans and elves remained in the courtyard, the two nobles turned to the Riders.

"Now then. We need to find you lodgings, and we'll hold a feast tonight. You haven't lived until you've had a human and elf combined feast. It is rather interesting," Lord Uriah smiled, then turned to enter the castle, bidding Yaela and the Riders to follow.

"You boast, Uriah. Our feasts are nothing spectacular," Lady Yaela admonished as they entered the hall, cloaked from one end to another in deep golden tapestry.

"Nonsense, don't be so modest Yaela," Uriah disagreed, chuckling. Mira glanced at Aldar and Valdir, who both appeared as uncomfortable as he felt. Their stay at Ceunon, though much needed, was bound to be intriguing.


	6. Chapter Five: A Spider's Webs

**A/N: I know that this is a much shorter chapter, but it's an important one! Please let me know what you think in a review! I worked hard on the details in this particular chapter so that they would pan out later on in the story. I'm also introducing a new character and setting up his background for you to enjoy. Perhaps you will like him. Perhaps not. Let me know!**

XXX

Chapter Five: A Spider's Webs

The evening in Ceunon progressed into the night, and Mira found himself somewhat enjoying the feast before them, sitting beside Lady Yaela and Valdir. The day had been spent with remarkably little of interest. Celestíra and the other dragons were indignant at having to stay so far away from the castle. Aravösk forced her thoughts to project into the minds of Yaela and Uriah to express her displeasure.

_You claim to be the midpoint of elf and human, yet there is no proper dragon hold? As Ceunon serves as a main trade point in Alagaësia itself, I suggest you build proper dwellings for my kind if you expect our company in the future to be that of pleasure._

Both Yaela and Uriah appeared startled that the dragon had spoken, and Valdir himself seemed most amused at their expressions.

Mira was listening to Uriah tell them about his father, a man who had served under Queen Nasuada before and after the great war, when he was distracted by movement at the end of the room. The long table was packed with so-called officials of Ceunon, and servants milled about the room, but the flash of movement caught his eye still. A boy who appeared to be about the same age as Mira was standing near a door, his eyes trained on the table, and looking at him. He winked and then disappeared through the door.

Mira's eyebrows furrowed as he considered what that might mean. He contemplated going after him, but he couldn't see a way to excuse himself without being rude. They had just finished their dessert, however, and Mira could see that some of the officials of the city were beginning to grow annoyed with Lord Uriah's story. He took his opportunity to excuse himself from the dinner, stating that he was ready to retire. They took little to no notice of him after, and he walked across the dining hall toward the door.

_Mira, be careful. You don't know what he might want with you. If I have to tear down a castle to protect you, I highly doubt that Lord Uriah and Lady Yaela will be entirely happy with me._ Celestíra warned as he reached the door, resting a hand on it.

_Don't worry. I think I can protect myself from a common boy._ He promised, and Celestíra grudgingly acknowledged him.

He slipped through the door, closing it quietly behind him, and found himself standing in a long hallway, similar to the one with the golden tapestries that they had passed through earlier that day. His eyes darted down the hall, and for a moment thought he caught movement going into an archway. He swept his gaze across the hall once more, and not seeing anything else, he made his way toward the arch.

In the room that the arch led to were lined shelves of books. A single desk sat in the middle of the room, and sprawled languidly on the chair behind the desk was the boy whom he had seen earlier.

"Who are you?" Mira asked curiously, making his way toward the desk and the boy.

"Me? Oh no one particularly important, Argetlam," The boy said, a curious edge to his voice that sent a tingle down Mira's spine. Whoever this boy was, he was certainly not 'no one particularly important'.

"What is your name then?" Mira asked, looking directly at him for the first time. He had light blond hair and pale green eyes, which reminded him for a moment of a lily before the bulb bloomed into the flower. He was bigger in height and stature that Mira, and now with them so close to one another, he could tell that the boy was older than him, but by how many years he could not be certain.

"Canton," The boy said, looking up at Mira for the first time since entering the room. In his hands was a small scrap of paper that he had been looking at before. When he beheld Mira so close to him, his eyes widened and he smiled. "And you are Mira of House Garrison, son to Lord Ezra and Lady Gardenia, the Rider of the rose dragon Celestíra."

Mira gaped, stunned. How could this boy, perhaps only a year or two older than him, no so much? How could he possibly know anything about his parents, let alone Celestíra?

"How – how do you know these things?" Mira spluttered, his voice incredulous. The boy sat up, smiling.

"Don't be so surprised, Mira. I'm a friend, there's no reason for you to worry," Canton said, his eyes bright. "I know these things because they are knowledge that a person who knows the right people can learn. I am… a spider if you will. I hear things, and I put them to use."

"A spider… so you have people that report to you, then? You, who are older than a few years at the most than me?" Mira inquired. Canton grinned.

"There is much that you do not know about me, Rider. I serve both Lady Yaela and Lord Uriah, though I am sworn to House Mirandor if relations with our elf friends were to spike dangerously."

"Canton, how can you be trusted if you are a purveyor of secrets?" Mira asked, and this time Canton's response was laughter.

"Look at me. Do I appear to want for much, Argetlam?" He asked sarcastically. Mira took a moment to look down and see that the boy was garbed in a fine light gray silk tunic. When Mira could make no connection between Canton's clothing at his situation, Canton clucked his tongue. "I am the ward of Lord Uriah. My parents died in service to Queen Nasuada after a… unfortunate murder in Dras-Leona. I never knew them."

Mira stared for a moment, shocked at Canton's words. Then he collected himself and bowed his head and said "I am sorry. I do not know what it is like to be reared as a ward, but I can sympathize with being raised by a Lord." At Mira's words, Canton's expression softened and he stood. He was maybe a head taller than Mira was. He touched Mira's shoulder, and Mira stiffened at the contact.

"Do not worry. I appreciate your sympathies. Being raised by a Lord is no easy task," He said simply. Mira relaxed for a moment, and then a sound at the door caused them both to jump.

"I thought you would be asleep, Mira. Come, the hour is late, and we have traveling to do tomorrow," Valdir said, his expression unreadable. His eyes glanced toward Canton but otherwise made no comment. Mira turned back to Canton, whose eyes were guarded now and had lost their bright sparkle that they held a moment before as he looked at Valdir.

"I will see you tomorrow," Canton told Mira, his expression voice devoid of the energy he had shown earlier.

"Very well… Atra esterní ono thelduin, Canton-Vinr." Mira said, hoping to renew the energy that he had shown earlier. When he gave no response, Mira turned, a little worried for his new friend. Perhaps Valdir had done something. He was going to ask him on the way to their room, when Canton reached out and grabbed Mira's hand. Mira turned around eyes wide. Aside from his mother, no one had ever held his hand.

"Mor'ranr lífa una hjarta onr, Mira Shur'tugal." He said, in flawless Ancient Language. They looked at one another for a moment that felt a bit like eternity to Mira, and he saw the light reappear in Canton's eyes. Then the moment was over, and their hands dropped.

Mira made his way toward Valdir, who was eerily stiff. As they left the archway, Valdir said nothing, but led them through a door, which opened at the beginning of a staircase. When the door was shut behind them and they were climbing the stairs, Valdir finally spoke and broke the silence.

"You should not trust him." He said. The sentence was simple enough, but it confused Mira.

"Why, Valdir-Vodhr? He seemed friendly enough to me," Mira asked, watching Valdir. His expression hardened and came to a stop on the stairs, turning to look at Mira.

"He… his mother, Tyana was a rider. It was she who was delivering Aravösk's egg throughout Alagaësia, hoping to get her to hatch. While Tyana was in Dras-Leona, she decided it would be a good thing for her to visit her beloved, Lord Roxton. Tyana's dragon, Cesidr the White, as well as her Rider Partner, Turekyav, an Urgal and his dragon Vanilör all vehemently tried to prevent her from doing so, but her mind was set. While she was there that night, after they had eaten, spent time with Canton that she had previously been unable to have, and no one else but they knew what, a murderer slipped into the room and slit their throats. He was found and killed before he reached Canton, but the deed was already done. Cesidr went into a rampage and died from grief soon thereafter, but Turekyav and Vanilör took both Aravösk's egg and the now orphaned Canton with them throughout the rest of their journey, tracing Canton's family lines to Ceunon where he was left to be raised by Lord Uriah, who is married to Canton's aunt, Lady Rochelle, before they continued to Osílon where Aravösk hatched for me. He bitterly thinks that if it had not been for Aravösk and even myself for existing, that maybe his parents would still be alive."

The stony silence that followed thereafter took a heavy effect on Mira. He wanted to turn around, find Canton, and tell him that what happened was not Valdir's or Aravösk's fault. He wanted to tell him that everything that had happened had occurred for a specific reason, and that he was the person that he was because of his circumstances, and that he was sure that he was a good person, no matter what sort of secrets he dabbled in.

Then a thought occurred to him.

"Valdir… how long have you been a Rider?" He asked after some time when they had reached the top of the stairs and had begun the walk down a hall toward their room.

"For nigh on ten-and-seven years I have been a Rider." He answered.

"How long have you been alive?" Mira inquired after a moment, and Valdir gave a hearty laugh.

"Longer than your grandfather would be if he were alive today. I was born before the beginning of the Second Great War."

"Do all Riders live so long?"

"Elves are essentially immortal, save that we die with blows and sickness, but we age indefinitely. Riders, as a part of the magic that affects them, allows our human, dwarf, and Urgal counterparts to inherit our immortality, though for how long our lifespans will last no one knows."

Silence enveloped them then, as they reached the room. Mira turned to Valdir, and in a slight whisper, said "I will trust him. Canton, I mean. I don't think that he's a bad person. I think that he probably has clouded judgment on this issue of his past and family. There is something about him that is… important. I'm not sure what it is, but it is important."

Valdir considered his words for a moment, then nodded. "A wise choice. I will be much more cautious then, if he is to be a friend of yours."

"He wouldn't dare harm you. Not while I am your friend and charge to protect."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time will tell. Perhaps I will not be caught up in the spider's webs."


	7. Chapter Six: The Sea of Trees

**A/N: Alright everyone! I made a bit of a longer chapter to make up for the last one! I'm glad you're all enjoying it still! It's going to be an intensive chapter – I'm really not good with travelling chapters, if you haven't been able to tell yet haha. I hope you enjoy!**

XXX

Chapter Six: The Sea of Trees

Morning dawned on Ceunon as Aiedail rose in the East, and of the three Riders, Mira was the first to rise. He yawned and stretched, gazing through the window. The golden morning had not yet touched the walls of the castle, leaving the majority of the lands still ensconced in half-light.

He swept upward, leaving the room quietly, and began then made his way to the staircase that led out of the hall. He passed no servants on the case, and once he reached the hall below, not a soul was in sight. The absence of people unnerved him. He wanted to share this with Celestíra, but she was still sleeping.

He continued his way down the hall, stopping at the archway and peering into the study where he and Canton had met the night before, hoping to see his new friend there, but was only given the sight of the room in pre-morning gloom. He stalked inside and made his way to the desk, and examined the papers that had been left on its surface.

The runes that covered the pages were foreign to him. Perhaps it was shorthand that Canton had developed or had been taught. He turned to leave, but a person stood in the archway. Mira stopped dead in his tracks, and a smile touched his face as Canton walked toward him.

"Good morning," Canton greeted, though his tone was more guarded than it had been the night before. "I trust that you slept well?"

"Like a baby," Mira responded, feeling suddenly carefree.

"Find what you were looking for?" Canton asked, nodding his head toward the desk.

"Only scribbles of a hand that I didn't recognize," Mira said, tilting his head. "Did you develop the shorthand?"

"It was taught to me by a woman named Rona, who served Lord Uriah before me. Perhaps I could teach it to you, if you would like. None but I and my… particular correspondents can read it," Canton said, smiling at the end.

"I will not be one of your informants if I learn it, Canton. I'm a Rider, not some whisperer; but I would like to learn it if that means that we can stay in contact. I like you, and I see you as a great friend in the future," Mira told him, watching his reaction. Canton smiled, and then strolled past him to the desk. He rifled through the desk for a time, and then returned with a scroll in hand.

"Here. It's like a translator for the shorthand if you will. Only when you've learned it, promise you'll destroy it. It wouldn't do to have my secrets revealed to Alagaësia at large," He said, handing over the scroll.

"I will, you have my word. Now, would you join me for breakfast? I'm starved," Mira said, stowing the scroll inside his tunic.

XXX

The morning was as eventful as watching the grass growing – that is to say, nothing happened and was excruciatingly boring for Mira, even though he was in the company of his newfound friend. The proceedings leading up to the departure of the Riders was needlessly overplayed. There were pleasantries to be exchanged with Lord Uriah and Lady Yaela. There were items of great import that they would need for their travels that had to be gathered. And it all progressed at the pace of a snail slithering on the ledge of a window.

Finally, when noon had passed them, they were ready to travel. Aravösk, Erendor, and Celestíra all landed in the courtyard, and the three dragons surprised Mira by saying that Celestíra was ready to let Mira ride her for the first time. Aldar had chuckled and produced an overly large saddle from Erendor's saddlebags, and presented it to Mira, who realized that it was a dragon's saddle. He grinned widely, and thanked Aldar, who waved his hand in dismissal.

"We've been waiting for this as long as you, no need to thank me." He guffawed.

Valdir helped Mira attach the saddle to Celestíra, who bristled with excitement. Her energy was producing an ecstatic mood in Mira, who was behaving much more outgoing than he normally would.

As he climbed into the saddle, Aldar instructed him on how to strap his legs in so that he wouldn't fall off, and then as the other two mounted, Mira turned and waved a hand to Canton, who had come along with the Lord and Lady to see them off. He returned the wave and smiled.

Then, they were ready. "Make sure you hold onto her neck spike, else you might stab your eye out!" Valdir warned Mira. He did so quickly.

He felt Celestíra's muscles shift beneath him as she prepared to take off, and he caught his breath, just as nervous as he was excited. In that moment, they had officially become a Dragon Rider. Celestíra took a bounding step and then threw herself into the air, her large pink wings unfurling to catch the wind. After a few powerful strokes, they were rising.

Now_ our bond is truly complete_, Celestíra said to him, and he agreed with her entirely. He glanced at the ground and wondered at how tiny everything seemed to be. He felt her shift under him as she adjusted to a burst of wind, and he glanced around to see where Valdir and Aldar might be. They swirled above him, and he knew, were watching them.

_Let us go!_ Mira shouted with his mind, excitement filling the words. Neither Valdir nor Aldar responded with words, but their emotions of happiness were clear to Mira.

Thus they left Ceunon, and turned to the east, with the Anora River behind them, and Aiedail at their backs.

The land spread before them was short, but still they saw nothing but plains for a good deal of time. Mira spent the time drinking in the luxury of riding Celestíra. After a time, Celestíra spoke to Mira.

_Do you want to see what it is like to fly? Open your mind to me. Let me be your eyes._ She told him. After a moment of hesitating, he did. He felt himself slip, but did not fight, and after a moment it felt like he was pulled from his body, residing in Celestíra's mind. Her thoughts were vast, like an ocean, and the oldest of them felt ancient. But then he was staring into the world around them, through her eyes.

Everything was clear and crisp and bright. One thing that he noticed though was that reds and pinks were brighter than the other colors. He wondered why that was, but resolved to not inquire about it. He relished the experience and wondered how she could ever bear to land. After some time of flying like this, he returned to his body, and found that it was stiff. He stretched his body as much as the saddle would allow him, keeping one hand on the neck spike in front of him so that he wouldn't stab himself by accident.

Another hour passed before the first of the trees appeared in their vision.

_Look_, Celestíra said, humming deep within her chest. Spread on the horizon like a blanket, stood the trees of Du Weldenvarden.

They stopped just at the edge of the trees, their dark pine needles rustling in the drifts of wind that the dragons' wings created.

"We camp for the night here, amongst the youngest of Du Weldenvarden. It shouldn't take long to reach Ellesméra from here on dragonback,." Valdir said when they had dropped from their saddles. They made a small camp and Aldar made a stew of fish and vegetables, then they ate and went to bed.

_What will the elves make of me?_ He asked Celestíra as he lay next to her belly, gazing into the darkness.

_What does it matter, what the make of you? They dare not insult a Rider, lest they feel the sting of my fury._

_That's what I'm afraid of though. What if people only treat me with respect because they fear you?_

_You shouldn't worry about that. They respect you because you're a Rider, not out of fear for me. Did not the servants of Uriah and Yaela treat you with dignity? And I wasn't there to influence their thoughts._

_Still…_

_Little one, do not fret. Sleep. You need your rest._

After that, they spoke no more. Eventually, Mira drifted into sleep, though he dreamt of nothing.

Morning dawned upon the world, and they set off again, rising over the trees. Valdir spoke after some time to them all.

_Land; we cannot continue through the air for a while, lest the wards of the forest knock us out of the air._

They did as he commanded and lighted in a clearing. There wasn't much space for the three dragons to walk, so they had to go single file, with Erendor leading.

"How much longer?" Aldar asked, his gruff voice panting with the effort of keeping up with the elf and human.

"Only another league or so. See the hilltop? After we crest it, we will be beyond the wards that keep things out and we can again take to the air." Valdir said.

They finally took the hill, and as they passed its climax, Mira felt a strange buzzing sensation all around them. His vision blurred for a second, and then the effects of the wards brushed over them and his perception of reality was normal once again.

Once they had descended the hill, the mounted once more, and they flew over the top of Du Weldenvarden. All around them was green. Greens of varying shades, from green so dark it was near black, to greens as light as to be nearly white.

The sea of trees was vast and expanded in all directions. There was naught but trees within their fields of vision.

They passed over a city, which Mira realized must be Osílon. Here, as with the elf homes in Ceunon, the houses were grown entirely out of the trees and plants. Every so often, they found a pale-faced elf gazing up at them, their expressions unreadable from such a great distance away.

When Osílon was far beyond them, they stopped to take a quick break and to enjoy a partial meal before resuming their flight. Mira's legs wobbled underneath him when he pulled himself off of the saddle and landed on the ground. He nearly fell, but steadied himself using Celestíra's foreleg.

He joined Valdir and Aldar for the meal, and then they took to the air again, soaring quickly over the trees. When they had gone more than a few hours, Mira could sense that Celestíra was beginning to grow tired.

_We should land,_ He said to her, but she refused.

_I will continue until Valdir says to stop._

So they continued for another few leagues, when Valdir told them to land. They did, and when the Riders had descended the dragons, Celestíra sank low to the ground, a _snick_ sounding loud as her inner eyelid closed.

_Do not wake me unless we are attacked._ She said, and promptly went to sleep. Mira gazed at her fondly, wondering over her beauty.

"I fear we may have pushed her beyond her abilities too soon," Valdir said, gazing at her as well.

_She is stronger than she appears. Do not coddle her, Valdir. She reminds me of Saphira._ Aravösk said.

"Saphira? You mean Saphira Bjartskular, the blue dragon partnered to Eragon Shadeslayer?" Mira asked, his curiosity peaked. "You know her?"

"Know her? Mira-finiarel, she and Eragon are our masters. It is to them that we report," Valdir answered.

"Will they be in Ellesméra? Are they our teachers?" Mira asked, his excitement beginning to grow. Valdir dismissed these notions with a single jerk of his head.

"Nay, they lay beyond the reaches of Alagaësia. We will go there after our visit to the Beor Mountains,"

After they ate, Mira crawled under Celestíra's wing and lay down to sleep, only to find his mind racing. Who were his teachers in Ellesméra? He fancied being taught by someone fierce until his dreams took place of thoughts and he drifted into the dark void of his dreams.

XXX

They landed not long after they had taken to the sky, perhaps after two hours of flight, which annoyed Mira. For what purpose could they possibly need to stop? He voiced his question to Valdir, who said that they must continue on foot in order for them to pass safely into Ellesméra.

"You mean that we're at the edge of the city now?" Mira asked, excited.

"Yes. The city's borders are a thirty minute walk from here, and the heart of the city will take an hour to reach from where we currently stand."

They continued through the trees on foot, and Mira noticed just how old they must have been. The closest tree to them was nearly the size of Aravösk, and continued to grow higher than Mira could see. The sunlight was filtered, and it seemed that the woods were nestled into an eerie twilight slumber. After the small walk that Valdir had promised, they came to a stop when they beheld a person standing in the middle of the trees, watching them.

"Gilderien the Wise, we seek entrance to Ellesméra. We bring with us a new Rider to be trained," Valdir said, in the ancient language. Gilderien was older than any creature Mira had ever seen, and he smiled gently at Mira. He said something in the Ancient Language, and then vanished in a beam of white-blue light.

Entering Ellesméra was not something to be taken lightly, Mira thought.

They entered the ring of trees, their boughs bent as though to ward off any stray travelers. They continued this way for some time until the trees began to thin and the light grew stronger.

"Welcome, to Ellesméra," Valdir said, extending his hand toward more trees. It took a moment for Mira to notice it, but he soon recognized the elves' nature homes, the ones that were made from the trees. A lone elf woman stood just outside of a door, her long black hair cascading down her back in gentle waves. She greeted them in the Ancient Language, and then ran off, her speed so fast that she became a blur.

"Where did she go?" Mira asked, puzzled.

"To let the rest of the city know of our arrival; we haven't had a new Rider in five years. The queen will wish to throw a feast in your honor, most likely. When we greet her, you will greet her first, using the Ancient Language. Tell her your name, what your house is, and name Celestíra as your partner. Celestíra, you will greet her next. Then Aldar and I, along with Erendor and Aravösk will greet her." Valdir said as they followed a pathway, carrying them past more of the elf homes.

All around them were mutters of "Shur'tugal!" and "Argetlam" and "Bjartskular". The elves varied in their appearances, but they all bared the similar graceful features, the larger eyes, and the pointed ears. Most were raven-haired, but some were silver headed, and a few had light blond hair, so light that it could have passed for white.

When they had traversed another few minutes, they came to a stop outside of a large cluster of trees, which appeared to have created a long hallway. The two elves at the door bowed as they entered, and the room within made Mira gasp. Here are there, tree branches covered the walls where the leaves did not touch them. But more than that, there were paintings, startlingly beautiful, accurate paintings. Tapestries hung along the walls, flashing bright gold or dull crimson or dusky orange.

The elves within sat around a table; twelve of them on either side, most raven-haired, and three with silver hair. At the head of the table, sat a woman whose gaze followed their movements, her large green eyes seeming to calculate and judge them without seeming harsh. She smiled lightly, and it changed her face to seem even more exotic. Her long dark hair was spanned out around her, and she wore a long splendid green dress with a red cloak about her shoulders.

They came near her and bowed, sinking to their knees as Valdir had instructed. The room was big enough to admit Celestíra and Erendor, as well as Aravösk who was twice Erendor's size, though not without difficulty. The three dragons were side by side, allowing no passage between them.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Arya Dröttning. Ekka eddyr Mira abr breoal Garrison, aí Shur'tugal. Thornessa er pömnuria skulblaka, Celestíra,"* Mira said in the Ancient Language, speaking carefully to not mess up any of the words with his unpracticed tongue.

"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Mira Shur'tugal." She said, her eyes brightening, obviously pleased that he was so well versed with the Ancient Language.

"Un du evarínya ono varda," Mira answered, finishing the introduction with the optional ending phrase.

The queen then greeted Celestíra, and then the others as well, before turning to Mira and switching to English.

"We have been expecting you for some time; I take it you had a safe journey?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Mira answered, happy to be in his native tongue once more.

"Good. We have prepared lodgings for you. Tonight we will feast and then you will meet your masters tomorrow," She said, smiling.

***May good fortune rule over you, Queen Arya. I am Mira of house Garrison, a Dragon Rider. This is my dragon, Celestíra.**


	8. Chapter Seven: Ebrithil

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the long wait before updating, but things are starting to get busy for me; I'm packing and getting things all together, and I move to college on the 13****th**** of August, so my updates will be a bit further apart than what they have been. I'm sorry if that's an inconvenience for you! I hope that you will continue to read and review my story as I post new chapters! Also, I know that it's a short chapter. Hope you can forgive me!**

XXX

Chapter Seven: Ebrithil

The feast was lively, and the elves gathered around them were less restrained than the elves had been in Ceunon. Mira sat at the head of a table beside two elves that had not given their names, or if they had, Mira couldn't remember them. Though all the elves seemed to know his tongue, they contented themselves to speak in the Ancient Language, and Mira found himself conversing in the language himself.

They talked long into the night, and after he had grown weary of the feast, Arya had one of the nameless elves escort him to a tree that had been grown specifically to house a dragon and Rider. Celestíra delighted in this and flew to the top where a large gaping hole was positioned to allow the dragon to enter.

Mira followed the elf, whose long black hair swooshed with each of his steps. They entered the door of the tree and Mira found himself looking at a long spiraling staircase.

"It goes all the way to the top boughs, Argetlam," The elf said, smiling at him with a surprisingly gentleness that he had not seen from an elf before.

"I'm sorry, could you tell me your name again?" Mira asked, as they began to climb the stairs.

"I never formally introduced myself, Argetlam. I am Aeravys," He introduced himself, bowing slightly as much as he could on the steps.

Mira examined Aeravys. His features still carried the angled planes that were customary for the elves, but they appeared to be much softer. His eyes were smaller than Valdir's, but they were larger than Mira's. He wasn't as tall as the other elves either. These things made Mira start asking questions in his mind as they climbed. When he could no longer bear to have his questions unanswered, he finally buckled.

"Aeravys why do you look so… different than the other elves?" He inquired, watching the elf for his reaction.

"Because I'm not a full-blooded elf. My mother was an elf. My father was not." Aeravys explained, seemingly unperturbed by his question.

"I didn't know that it was possible for two different races to have children," Mira explained, but the linger of questions was lilting in his tone.

"It is as possible as two humans, two Urgals, two dwarves, and even two elves, to have children. My father was a human named Bustaphor. He met my mother some years ago and they were together for some time. I was born in Ceunon, and then moved here with my mother when he died," Aeravys told him, as they lighted on the top floor of the tree, where they beheld Celestíra laying in a large nest-like bed.

"How old are you, Aeravys?" Mira asked, watching the elf.

"Seven-and-seventy years,"

"What! But you appear to be so much younger," Mira protested, to which the elf smiled.

"I received my most of my mother's traits, including the long-lasting life. It is unclear if I am as immortal as an elf, or if I will eventually die of old age. The only other half-elf being was born just five-and-ten years ago and is currently living with her mother and father in Ilirea."

"I am sorry that you are alone and unsure, Aeravys," Mira said, but Aeravys laughed.

"Not to worry, Argetlam. I have had many years to get used to it."

He left then, leaving Mira and Celestíra alone.

"I like him," Mira said out loud, as well as with his mind to Celestíra. The rose dragon chuckled and then tucked her head under a wing.

_The elves are a curious race. I hope we do not lose ourselves amongst their customs._ She answered.

As they prepared to end their day, Mira laid down on the bed that was across the room from the nest. He examined a set of large gouges in the wood near the door and wondered what they might be. Then, realizing that they were dragon's claws, he wondered at the size of them. They were smaller than Aravösk's but bigger than Celestíra's.

He pointed this out to Celestíra and she examined them herself, and made a single comment: _It would appear that a dragon was not happy with their Rider._

Mira said nothing, but examined the door itself. He opened it to find another set of stairs.

_I'm going to look. I'll be back in a moment_, he told her, and she snorted, a trail of smoke rising from her nostrils. Mira climbed the stairs, happy when he found that they were much shorter than the staircase that led to the base of the tree.

He came to the floor above and whispered an incantation to bring light into the room. A red were-light appeared overhead of him and he gazed at his surroundings. There was a desk in the room, and a window that stood behind the desk. Lining the walls were bookshelves. He walked to the desk, finding it to be clean of materials except for a single piece of paper. He looked at the runes, attempting to make sense of it.

"Eragon" he read. _Eragon? As in the leader of the Riders?_ He asked Celestíra, sending her a picture of the word.

_I'm not sure. I don't read, and I don't feel the need to learn it. Perhaps you should ask Aeravys or Valdir or Aldar. They could answer you better than I._ She responded, her tone snippy. Mira laughed at her, noticing how tired she was. He examined the books on the shelves, but he found that he couldn't read the long graceful runes that filled the books. He found one solidary book written in his tongue and read the title _Domia Abr Wyrda_.

"The Dominance of Fate?" He asked out loud, and then picked the book up, rifling through it. It had graceful red ink lining its pages, and he read a bit of it, realizing quickly that it was a history of Alagaësia.

He replaced the book after a time and returned to the floor where Celestíra had fallen asleep. He extinguished the were-light and climbed into the bed. His head was swimming but it wasn't long before he was drifting into the world of dreams.

XXX

The morning dawned with a hush weighing on the trees. Mira stood, stretching and yawning. Celestíra loomed over the edge of the landing, watching him.

_They are gathered at the trunk waiting for you. You shouldn't keep them for too long._ She said, then opened her wings and drifted to the ground.

He grinned at the spot where she had been, then headed toward the stairs that led to the ground. The descent was quicker than the ascent, he noticed, as he lighted on the ground quicker than he had expected. When he opened the door, he found himself looking directly at Queen Arya, and he bowed his head, then greeted her in the Ancient Language. She responded in kind, and he greeted Valdir and Aldar, who had come with her.

"Today, you meet your masters. Come along. Celestíra is following Aravösk and Erendor already." Arya said, then turned, sweeping past the tree and outward away from the city.

The Riders followed, though Valdir and Aldar seemed to know where they were headed already. The denied him any questions and they quickly fell silent.

After some time, they came to a forked trail amongst the trees where four horses stood waiting for them.

"These are elven horses. We train them from foals to respond to thoughts in the Ancient Language. There is no need for using spurs or whips to get them to move faster; although you must be careful. They don't respond to unkindness," Arya said, mounting one.

"I was unaware that you could share thoughts with horses," Mira said in response. Arya gave him a surprised look and then turned her gaze on Valdir and Aldar who cringed.

"I see your tutors neglected to instruct you properly in some areas. No matter; Mira, you can exchange thoughts with all beings, even plants. Not all beings can understand you in words, but they can understand your meanings. Also, it is impossible to lie in the Ancient Language, meaning that I can instruct that bird to come land on my shoulder, for I shall not harm him; and he will come." After a moment, the very bird that she had mentioned, a light blue plumed thing, landed on her shoulder. It flew off after another moment, and the exchange left Mira awestruck.

He climbed into the saddle of the horse near him and told it to follow the other horses. She responded with an enthusiastic whinny and they set off.

After what seemed like a long time of hard riding, they found themselves nearing a large clearing with rocks scattered about here and there.

"Welcome, Mira, to the cliff. Beyond, in the distance, you can just make out the Crags of Tel'naeír. There, you will train with your masters," Arya announced, dismounting her steed.

The others followed suit, and Mira examined the crags which appeared to be more of a hazy ledge. The three dragons sat nearby, in silent conversation that Mira wasn't paying attention to.

"But, Your Majesty, who will teach us?" Mira asked, gazing around, half-expecting to find an elf strolling out of the woods.

Arya grinned but said nothing. She walked to the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance. Then she lifted her arms, and without giving a warning, she dropped off the edge. Mira let out a gasp that turned into a scream, lunging forward. Valdir put his arm out, stopping Mira.

"What are you doing? We have to help her!" He exclaimed, struggling against Valdir's arm.

"Stop. She is showing you who your Masters are," Valdir responded, and Mira gaped like a fish out of water.

"What are you-," He started, but was interrupted by a loud _whoosh_.

Rising from the side of the cliff, the enormous form of a green dragon rose. And on his back, perched Arya, the elf queen.

"You!" Mira gasped, his voice rough. He and Celestíra neared the edge of the cliff as they lit upon its surface.

He bowed his head, and said with both mind and voice "Ebrithil." Celestíra repeated the gesture, and a deep, rumbling voice filled their heads. It was deeper than any voice he had heard, and it carried a gentle musky tone to it, as though he had spent many years beside a fire, drinking only fine wine.

_Greetings, hatchlings. I am Fírnen._ He said.


End file.
